The Black Widow
by DragonRidingSorceress
Summary: Padme Amidala survives Mustafar, and becomes a leading figure of the Rebellion. Companion piece to Cruel Torture, Unusual Punishment. You don't need to read CTUP to understand this one. Needs a better summary; suggestions welcome.
1. Prologue

In the last days of the Republic, Anakin Skywalker, the Hero With No Fear died. He was reborn as Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith.

In the first days of the Empire, Padme Amidala died. Her cause of death was threefold: the collapse of the Republic she had served so loyally; the betrayal of her husband; and the loss of her unborn children.

She too was reborn, in the figure of the Black Widow.

In the first years of the Empire, wronged women of the galaxy flocked to her banner. Those who had lost husbands, siblings, parents, children... They allied themselves with the fledgling Rebellion, training and fighting alongside them.

The Empire's soldiers feared the Black Widows. These women had nothing to lose, and nothing to live for but revenge. And they would rather die than be captured.

They never wore black, oddly enough. Their uniform was white, pristine... the better to oppose the Empire's darkness.


	2. First Mission

**Timeline note: This chapter occurs before Chapter 1 of **_**Cruel Torture, Unusual Punishment.**_

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><p><em><em>The plan had been going fairly well, Adelle thought, until the Stormtroopers had shown up.

It had seemed like such a simple mission – get in, destroy as much of the temporary Imperial base as possible, and get out. A perfect first mission for Adelle, the newest Black Widow, and her leader, Padme Amidala, the First.

They should have known it could never be that simple.

Padme peered around the corner that sheltered them for the briefest of seconds, blasters at the ready, then pulled back without shooting.

A few months ago, Adelle would have been – _had been_, in fact – flustered by the proximity to The Black Widow. Time and training had snapped her out of it, and now she was focussed and collected.

"When I go around that corner," Padme ordered, "I want you to make a break for the ship. Wait one minute for me if you can, but take off if it looks too dangerous."

It was a suicide mission that Padme was on. The newest rebels often spoke of it in hushed tones. She had lost everything with the fall of the Republic, and now fought only for vengeance and the distant hope that one day democracy would return.

Most of the Widows were the same, but few to such extremes. Adelle herself would rather die than face capture and torture. But in the three years of the Empire's reign, Padme had attempted – and somehow survived – so many suicidal missions to save 'her girls' that they were sure she was Force-blessed.

So Adelle nodded, murmured a "Yes, ma'am," and tensed to run as Padme flashed her a grateful smile. Another (braver) woman would have offered to go in Padme's place, she knew; but Padme would never allow it, and to argue would just waste time.

Padme cried, "Now," and they were in motion, bursting out of the corridor and making for the next patch of cover, blasters blazing at the approaching Stormtroopers.

Adelle made it behind a piece of fallen masonry, and chanced a glance behind her. Padme had ducked into cover as well; an alcove a little further down the hallway, closer to the white-armoured enemies. A few quick shots from Adelle's blaster drew their attention and their fire for a moment; but then Padme was dancing out from her cover to distract them, and Adelle took this as her sign to get the hell out.

The clatter and hiss of a gas grenade being launched proved this was a very good idea. Even as she raced away from it, tendrils of the toxic gas reached after her, choking her as she ran. Her heart sank; not even the legendary Padme could survive dioxis.

Still, once she made it to her ship, she waited a minute longer than Padme had ordered, hoping to see her mentor emerge from the facility unscathed. It was only when the first Stormtrooper opened fire on their little two-man transport that she took off, heart heavy.

Padme Amidala, The Black Widow, was dead.

The Black Widows would continue her vengeance.


End file.
